


Let's Hang Out Sometime

by matimae



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Abduction, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen, Hung by wrists, Hurt/Comfort, Isolation, Kidnapping, Torture, Whump, Whumptober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:02:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26721841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/matimae/pseuds/matimae
Summary: Mulder is abducted and all alone. Sure to make any couple weeks long.
Relationships: Fox Mulder/Dana Scully
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Let's Hang Out Sometime

**Author's Note:**

> written for whumptober 2020 no.1 (waking up restrained, shackled)

The first thing that Mulder's hazy mind picked up was the cold and pressure against his wrists.

Blinking away the persistent fog in his brain he tried to collect himself.

It was dark.

That was what he knew for sure.

That was all he could focus on.

The cold. And the darkness.

And how utterly like shit he felt.

Mulder was suspended in the air by two heavy shackles holding him into place. His suit jacket had been removed at some point as Mulder realized he was just in his button up, he tried to use that to gather some idea of a time frame of when he was taken.

And _who_ took him.

In all honesty Mulder couldn't remember anything from the past week. The last thing he _did_ remember was that life was...normal.

Scully and he had just finished a case and it was just, life as usual.

Being abducted and strung up like a plaything came totally out of left field, but then again when is it ever predicted? He couldn't expect a hand written invitation 2 weeks prior to give him a heads up, now could he?

In the middle of trying to find out how the hell he got himself into this mess (and if Scully was apart of it? _Is she okay?_ ) he was interrupted by a noise.

Well, more like a series of noises.

Clanging came from what seemed to be every direction, but Mulder couldn't say. He was disoriented enough as it was.

It didn't remain a mystery for long, a sliver of light appeared to the right if him, and he strained to lift his head towards it.

"Hello, Agent." The light melted into a bigger streamed pattern as some sort of entrance was being revealed.

So, yeah, this was a work thing.

"You know who I am," Mulder smirked up at the figure still shrouded in darkness. "can't say I have the pleasure."

"You will know me. In time."

Shit.

This guy meant business and his business was keeping Mulder for a _while_ it seemed. (Also seemed like he wouldn't be getting out of this one but he'd prefer not to pause too long on that thought.)

"So, you just gonna leave me hanging all day?"

The figure huffed in false amusement. "You're a funny guy. We'll see how long that lasts, because, yes. I _am_ just gonna leave you hanging all day."

Mulder would be lying if he said his gut didn't quench at the reply.

The thought of being suspended in these shackles for the unforeseeable future sucked the life right out of him. Though, if his FBI training had taught him anything, it was that he could never show it.

Never show that they had gotten to you.

Always keep all the cards that you can, and in this case, it was his aloofness.

"It's not fair! You didn't even allow me to guess the word you were thinking of before you started your round of hangman!" said Mulder, in mock offense.

Silence from the figure.

Steaming because he wasn't reduced to a wet pile of tears yet, Mulder could only guess.

The figure had left him alone at one point and Mulder began pulling against his chains to try to free himself, it only dug them in deeper. As soon as Mulder stopped thrashing he became aware of just how much darkness had actually filled the room. That was the one thing that didn’t leave him, all day he would hear noises from outside or even people coming in and out, but the one constant was that the darkness always stayed.

The day stretched on and noises grew infrequent and he would no longer get any visitors from the figure, or any one else for that matter, and Mulder began to wonder if it was even the same day anymore. Through delirious pain rendered thoughts (or were they dreams at this point?) Mulder drifted in and out of his shackles and into scenarios explaining his predicament.

Aliens. Must be.

That must be why he’d never seen his captors face! Maybe he didn’t even have one? What if there was a species of alien that was faceless? And that is who had kidnapped him?

Mulder escaped into his own mind creating explanation on explanation and days may have passed, everything melted together. Through his hunger and haze filled stupor he tried and failed to create and sustain any method to try to tell the time. Nothing was consistent to clock any sounds around him, at one point even tried tapping his foot to keep the time. Exhaustion took over quickly.

He could no longer feel his arms. Not a good sign he knew, but selfishly he liked that they weren’t in pain anymore. Uncomfortable as hell though. He could feel the caked on dried blood on his arms from where it dripped down from his wrists, and Mulder wished more than anything he had a third arm so he could pick it off.

Though he supposed with a third arm he could just undo the restraints himself… but that was out of the question. He didn’t have a third arm and he wasn’t being rescued. There were statistics to these things. It had to have been at least a week by now. Or just a shit long couple days.

Mulder was normally an optimist in things, a believer if you will. The darkness had stolen his will. He had no hope in this situation. He wasn’t being rescued, he couldn’t even save himself.

He supposed the only reason he was alive still was that he still spit out a cocky line anytime that another person entered the room. That or they had a plan for him. Alien sacrifice maybe?

Delirious from lack of sleep and food, he slowly felt himself slip away into the recesses of his mind yet again. If he was going to die here he might as well not be conscious of the pain and discomfort that he felt.

Mulder narrowed his eyes and winced under the a bright shining light that rested on his face. It took all of his energy just to squint away from it.

Then there’s a voice that follows the light. Unlike any of the other voices that he had heard throughout the last few days.

This voice was soft. Riddled with concern but laced with a heavy dose of relief.

Scully.

She had found him.

Mulder felt a tear slip down his face. He could rest now.

“Mulder? Mulder? Are you alright?” Hands were all over him, removing the shackles.

The pressure that was released from his arms sparked a shiver down his spine, and Mulder gasped with relief. Then the blood rushed straight to his head and he fell to his knees.

“Hey, hey, we got you,” Scully said bracing him against her shoulder as another agent came to help stabilize Mulder.

“Scully?”

“Yeah, yeah, it’s okay, you’re okay.”

“You found me.”

Scully guided him onto the stretcher that was waiting for him. “Sorry it wasn’t sooner. We’re gonna get you home now. Okay?” she gave him a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder.

Mulder’s head was pounding and eyes so blasted he couldn’t even tell where Scully was anymore, but he whispered anyways. “Thank you.”

...

When Mulder woke up he notices that he was lying down. A smile spread across his face. He didn’t care about anything else, it just felt so good to be laying down.

His arms and wrists were wrapped up in bandages with only a small IV poking out. Whatever they were pumping him up with really got his heart steady, Mulder had a million questions racing through his mind but he never felt more at ease.

“You’re awake. Had us worried there for a moment Mulder.” she playfully pushed his shoulder and he grinned back at her.

He never thought he’d see the sight again. Of his partner, of another human, of just being alive and safe.

“So, what happened? How did you find me? _Where_ did you find me? I can’t remember anything from before they took me.”

“Well, after you went missing you became the priority case, I mean, you don’t mess with one of our own,” Scully started, adjusting her jacket in her seat. “after some research I found that one of our old cases had come back to bite us. An old suspect had been released from psychiatric prison. Guess he was out for revenge.”

“Well, I’m glad that you were on the case. Couldn’t have been in better hands.” Mulder smiled. This job never let up, but at least he has the best damn partner that he can always count on.

“Although, I am a little surprised it wasn’t aliens in the end. Thought for sure it was those guys that finally grabbed me.”

Scully couldn’t hold back a howling laugh. Her nose crinkled up as she tilted her head back and gripped the edge of his bed.

“Of course you would think aliens! Oh,” Scully sighed in relief. “it’s so good to have you back.”

“Good to be back.”

fin

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! <3


End file.
